Here we go! I am motivated! Thanks to all the readers and please don't hesitate to leave a review!

Let's get going, I know you've been waiting for this with impatience (don't deny it: I know it ;) )

The forest was thick under the moonless sky. Nighttime animals were out and every shiver in the foliage stopped Jack's progression, already far too slow to his liking. A few minutes earlier, he had heard what could only be a jaguar attacking it's prey. The poor thing had cried out for help or mercy, but Jack was already too busy running in the opposite direction.

Snap.

Once more, the Colonel crouched on the forest's slightly damp ground and listened to the silence. For several kilometers now he had felt hunted, spied.

"J: Come on, show yourself. I have better things to do!"

But if he was indeed followed, he would have to wait some more for the attack to happen. Stopping himself from sighing too loud or even insulting whatever kept hidden from him, Jack stood up and pulled on the small pièce of velcro covering his watch's face. His little nocturnal hike had started three hours ago. Three hours that would have rather spent looking for Sam and Daniel.

The problem, when one get dumped in the middle of nowhere with nothing else than their P-90, it's that finding your way is quite difficult!

"J: Next hill is coming up, there's got to be a village or something over there!"

And so, Jack started to walk again, mumbling under his breath threats of all the things he would do to Tsun when he would get his hands on him.

Meanwhile, in SG-1's apartments:

Ja: (nonchalantly leaning against the wall behind him, his arms crossed over his chest) Teal'c... He's starting to look a little... blue.

Without too much haste, Teal'c released his grip on Tsun's throat. The poor man, that a lack of oxygen had somewhat made unable to use his legs (Fut: heh... stuff happens!), collapsed on the floor, coughing terribly. Aparently, the inhabitants of Centauris were not quite used to this kind of violent response... if they had been, Tsun would have probably thought it through more carefully before explaining to Jacob and Teal'c how he had abandonned Jack O'Neill in the middle of the forest a few hours earlier.

Ja: You better take us to pick him up right away because Jack is the only person able to give Teal'c direct orders. (he sighs, obviously sorry) If he were to decide... I don't know, to throw you off that balcony for example. Well there would be very little I would be able to stop him. I am but an old man after all.

The look Teal'c threw at Tsun could have terrified a whole army of Unas, because the man staggered on his feet with a pained look on his face.

T.A: I did try to go get him. After all, it wasn't planned for him to stay in the forest overnight. The council only needed some time to decide how to react.

Tsun glanced a worried look at Teal'c who only raised a menacing eyebrow.

T.A: When I went back to get him, he had disapeared! Why would he venture into the forest in the middle of the night?

The Centaurian obviously thought that such a thing was unheard of... and it was all Jacob needed to lose his last ounces of calm.

Ja: (raising his voice) Two members of his team have gone missing!

In his head, Jacob could hear Selmac' trying to reason with him... without much success.

"Sel: Jacob... It's not the poor boy's fault, he was only following orders."

Ja: And here you are, all twiddling your thumbs while my daughter is in the hands of a bunch of fanatics!

"Sel: Jacob... He knows Sam is your daughter. No need to remind him."

Ja: And now what do we do? Have you ever even considered that Jack O'Neill might be those two's best chance of survival?

Frowning at the Tok'ra, Tsun seemed taken aback by Jacob's reaction.

T.A: We could not risk to see Colonel O'Neill refusing to wait for the Council to people seem inclined to act before thinking properly. Even though it is not quite your fault entirely, for our studies of more primitive civilizations have proved that...

"Sel: Jacob, I can read your thoughts and I believe this young man has been roughed up enough for today."

Ja": Just a little more..."

But Selmac' was right... even though it was quite annoying. Breathing in deeply, Jacob did his best to calm himself down.

T.A: (getting the feeling that he might be about to get slapped across the face) Of course we will do eveything possible to find Colonel O'Neill. That is why I have come here to gather you. (his eyes move between the two men in front of him) I had thought that your friendship with the Colonel would give you a better insight as to where he might have gone...

T: Jacob Carter. I will accompany Tsun Amy and help him in his search. Colonel O'Neill has a few hours on us but I should be able to track him down.

Ja: (nodding in agreement) I do not think searching the town over and over will help us much at this point. While you are off to get Jack back, I will study the transmission a little closer. Who knows, we might have overlooked something.

Almost immediately, Tsun tapped a few buttons on his bracelet and a small bleep echoed in the room. A second later, one of the kitchen's wall lit up and Jacob saw that the beginning of the transmission had been paused there, waiting for him to watch it.

Pop!

Teal'c and Tsun had disappeared before Jacob had had time to ask the Centaurian what the Council had decided.

In the forest:

J: Oy, are we going to do this or what?!

The annoyance in Jack's voice seemed to surprise de whole forest and all the small noises around him died immediately. He could have sworn he'd heard a little whine in the bush a few feet from him.

"J: I can squint all I want, I can't see two feet ahead. At the same time I'd rather be sure if I'm about to get jumped."

The worst in all this wasn't the threat hiding in the dark, but instead the knowledge that while he was out here playing Dora the explorer, Sam and Daniel were still waiting for help. Just contemplating the idea he felt his throat tightening and it was hard to think clearly.

"J: What if her wound re-opens... After all she just walked out of the infirmary. And Danny didn't look too good either. What if... "

Jack cut short the train of his darkening thoughts. He had to stay positive. There was still a chance that Teal'c and Jacob had already brought them both back to the comfort of their apartments and they were stuffing their faces while the bad guys were getting picked up real nicely by the Centaurians.

J: (mumbling under his breath) Yeah, yeah ... And I'm Homer freaking SimpssooooOOHHHH!

His knee giving out under him, Jack tried to regain his balance... by settling his other foot in thin air. Feeling the world tumbling upside down, there was only one things left for the military man: hoping that rolling up into a ball would allow him to make it down the gully without wreaking his neck.

The way down seemed to last longer than Alice's in the White Rabbit's burrow. When Jack finally made it to the bottom, he'd already been unconscious for a few seconds, his P-90 giving him a friendly headbutt half way down.

At the bottom of the gully, SG-1's commander laid pretty miserably. Had he been conscious, he would have probably found it appropriate to comment on the fact that today seemed to be a bad one for all of them. Around Jack, the forest seemed to slowly regain life. A few nighttime birds chirped carefully before flying off to new horizons. In the undergrowth, rodents of all sizes and shapes returned to their quest for a meal or for someplace safe to spend the rest of their night. Staying hidden in the shadows, something was moving toward Jack. He had been right to think he was followed. Finally, a dark paw ventured in a calculated descent of the gully.

At Sam and Daniel's:

While her hand was still searching every imperfection on the walls of their cell, Sam turned toward her companion.

S: Better?

Daniel shrugged gently. The pain in his side was serious but not too bad if he didn't move. Probably because of his fractured ribs.

D: Much. Thanks.

No one had visited them since they had woken up. It was hard to tell how long ago it was, not without the watches they had left at the apartment. For what seemed like the hundredth time, Sam had made her little patrol of their cell, trying her best to find something that would help them getting out of here. Daniel watched her in action, knowing too well that if she had not found anything until now, nothing would turn up.

D: Sam...

With a smile hinted with sadness, he tapped the floor next to him. For a moment he saw her about to refuse, but she changed her mind and joined with a tired sigh. Sitting down and standing up always made her bite her inner jaw to stifle any noise of pain, but Daniel wasn't born yesterday. Naturally, his arm found it's way around her waist and they were back in a position now quite familiar and comfortable.

D: It's not that I'm missing it but I wonder why no one has come to interrogate us.

They had both been unconscious while Salsi Fi had given out his little speech to the rest of Centauris and therefore had no idea they had already served their purpose.

S: At least with the Goa'ulds we have our timetable all worked out. First they take us in, then one of their Jaffa shoots/hurt/threatens one of us - usually the Colonel - and then the big boss has us brought out to him for a friendly chit chat.

D: (clicking his tongue) Good old times...

Talking like Jack seemed to help them keeping their spirits up.

Daniel and Sam had agreed upon the fact that their regular Nemesis was not behind their kidnapping. They had seen no Jaffas and Goa'ulds were usually not the kind to hide in such ... rustic headquarters.

"D: Really it's the first time that we've found ourselves stuck for good... If we don't count the times the only way out was to kill ourselves. Man... I really hope I don't have to die, again. I wonder if the others already started to look for us."

Daniel looked around. Their cell had no windows and the only provided light came from a small sphere in the right corner of the room. Impossible to know whereas the sun had come up yet.

"D: Maybe it's still night out there and no one even noticed that we've been missing... On the other hand, if it's already daytime... "

Daniel couldn't help but chuckle. From the corner of the eye, Sam looked at him.

S: Daniel?

D: Nothing, nothing.

And for him to laugh again.

S: (she frowns and turns to face him) I must have missed something... last time I checked there wasn't really anything funny about our situation.

D: (rolling his eyes a little) I noticed that. I was just thinking... More like picturing Jack's reaction when he will notice that neither of us are in our beds.

S: Huh?

It took Sam a couple of seconds to understand what Daniel was hinting about. Her cheeks reddened but she did not answer.

"S: Well wouldn't that be the icing on the cake... The Colonel thinking that Daniel and I... Argh!"

Although, thinking about it, Sam found herself curious to know what had Daniel been about to say right before they had been attacked.

D: (falsely hurt by Sam's seriousness) Oy! I'm flattered! I know that in the past my romantic relations might not have left the best of impressions but still!

Finally, Sam smiled to her old friend, lifting his spirits. Apparently, if it wasn't in her own lab, Samantha Carter did not like being confined.

S: You know that's not it...

D: (he squeezed her gently) I know, I know... You always found me quite irresistible, no need to deny it! It was too obvious in your eyes last...

A coughing fit shook the archeologist and he had to move away from Sam to try to catch his breath. His features distorted by pain, Daniel coughed in his hands for about thirty seconds. When he finally leaned back against the wall, a few drops of blood prickled his chin. He wiped a hand that looked just as bad on his pants and threw a side-way look at Sam. He could see fear in her eyes and knew that was exactly what she could read in his.

S: Daniel...

D: I'm alright. (he tries to smile, to look reassuring)

Without warning, an opening appeared in one of their cell's walls and two armed men made their entrance, threatening. Of course they were only the small fry and when they stepped aside a man in his thirties walked in. His eyes were dark in every possible way. As we took a few steps into the room, his hands neatly crossed behind his back, SG-1's two members felt that they would have to be extra careful from now on.

Slowly, the opening closed itself behind Pass Tram-y.

In SG-1's apartments:

Jacob had watched the transmission at least a dozen of times and was still empty-handed. The walls around Daniel and Sam gave no indication as to where they were and even with the help of Centaurian technology he had been unable to find the slightest détail that would put him on his daughter's trail.

The Tok'ra fell back in his chair, discouraged. Weyr Do made her way into the room.

W.D: Another message was sent to the Council.

Jacob motioned to the wall, trying to compose himself a bit. Only four hours had gone by since the first message from the Children of Aras. It wasn't time to give up.

This time it was obvious that the lighting had been modified as to allow a better view on both Daniel and Sam. They had been tied to two chairs, like in a bad B movie. Their wounds were more visible and Jacob could not help but wince at the sight of his daughter. Her dress could not hide the dark stains of coagulated blood near her shoulder, nor the pallor on her face. Despite it all, it was with a look of ferm détermination that she looked straight at the caméra, and her father almost felt like she was looking at him, trying to establish contact.

The fist that met Sam's delicate jaw took both Carters by surprise. Jacob snapped up, his jaw clenching painfully with rage. Sam's muffled cry was like a stab wound. The hits kepts on coming without any question being asked, no demands formulated. A simple demonstration of power from the leader of the Children of Aras. When the torturer finally noticed Daniel shouting, he turned his attention to him for what seemed to last forever. Near the archeologist, Jacob could see the contused face of his daughter bathed in silent tears, her eyes now lowered with a look of defeat.

Finally, the man straightened up, his back to the caméra as he patiently adjusted his sleeves as well as the front of his jacket. After making certain that he was presentable, Pass Tram-y faced his audience, a wicked smile on his lips.

P.T: I only wanted to offer you some... motivation. You now have twenty of their Earthling hours left.

The transmission cut off. Jacob passed a shaky hand in what was left of his grey hair.

Would it have been wiser for SG-1 to avoid passing under Master Sergeant Syler's ladder before heading out on their mission? Will Jacob's hair survive this episode? Is it really the author's fault if everything is suddenly turning to drama?!

All this you will (perhaps) discover it in the next chapter!
PS: reviews please!